This invention relates to providing a system and method for providing themed, interchangeable cooking surfaces for waffle and sandwich-griller appliances to consumers, such provision being independent of the provision of a matching manufacturer's appliance.
Typically, waffle and sandwich-griller appliances are sold with permanently attached or removable cooking plates. Often, the appliances with removable cooking plates are intended to meet one or two common objectives. The first common objective is to allow easy cleaning and avoid subjecting the appliance's electrical components to undue moisture or water. A second common objective is to allow the appliance to serve more than one purpose, e.g., as a waffle griller, a sandwich griller or a griddle. Typically, the cooking plates are removable, and some are reversible with each respective cooking plate having at least one, and possibly two, cooking surfaces. For example, one cooking surface typically has a waffle pattern and a second opposing cooking surface has a smooth cooking surface on the opposite side of the cooking plate, allowing easy conversion from a waffle griller to a sandwich griller.
A few manufacturers have offered waffle grillers or sandwich grillers with built-in cooking surfaces that have a pictorial pattern. But there remains a need for removable cooking plates with themed cooking surfaces that are compatible and interchangeable with selected removable cooking plates for waffle and sandwich griller appliances from selected manufacturers.